Cable ties are generally manufactured from nylon or metal, with some coated variations. Here, we focus on the granddad of all zip ties, the heavy duty cable tie.
What is a metal cable tie?
A metal cable tie, as its name implies, is manufactured from stainless steel, offering extreme strength, durability and resistance to corrosive conditions.
Why metal cable ties are heavy duty
At cableties-online, our metal cable ties are the heaviest duty of all zip ties on the market as they are manufactured from marine grade 316 stainless steel. Read What are metal cable ties made from? to learn more. They can be used in adverse conditions where extreme weather conditions, corrosion and chemical exposure are present. Their wide, working temperature range of -80°C to +538°C equips them for use in the harshest of conditions too, while the high melting point of 316 stainless steel renders them fire resistant.
How strong are metal cable ties?
The strength of any cable tie is referred to as its tensile strength and this is measured in kilograms. For example where a zip tie has a tensile strength of 22kg, this means that that particular tie, will tolerate a weight of up to 22kg without breaking. It is vital therefore to know that the tensile strength of any zip tie you are using is sufficient for the load it is carrying. In Which cable ties are the strongest? you can see that our metal cable ties are the strongest by far, with the narrowest offering a tensile strength of 89kg and the widest 160kg.
How metal cable ties work
Where nylon cable ties have a smooth side and a ridged side plus a locking barb system, metal cable ties are smooth on each side and have a self-locking system with a roller ball mechanism. When the end of the tie is fed through the roller ball system, it is secured in place. This secure fastening cannot be loosened and will resistant vibrations and tampering.
How to use metal cable ties
While it is perfectly possible to install metal cable ties manually, it requires a degree of strength to tighten them sufficiently which may not be possible by hand. Using a pair of pliers can help, but to achieve consistency across several stainless steel zip ties, we always recommend the use of an installation tool such as the cable tie installation tool for stainless steel ties which can also be purchased in a heavy duty option.
Who uses metal cable ties?
Stainless steel cable ties are used around the world in any situation that requires their unique features. This includes applications in the shipbuilding and mining industries, in the transportation of heavy plant machinery and equipment and any other manufacturing industry where goods need to be transported without the risk of damage from vibrations. Closer to home, the use of stainless steel cable ties is permitted when securing mesh panels on scaffolding loading bay gates, at a frequency of one cable of at least 75kg loop tensile strength being positioned every 300mm.
Stainless steel zip ties from cableties-online.co.uk
Our 316 marine grade stainless steel cables ties are available in 8 lengths from 150mm to 1000mm and two widths – 4.6mm and 7.9mm. If scratch resistance is needed, or under any conditions where a metal cable tie could come into contact with galvanised steel, we recommend the use of coated stainless steel ties available in a polyester-coated or epoxy resin coated format.
For any further information, help or advice, please email the sales team at sales@cableties-online.co.uk or give us a call on 01623 412160.
